House Agrees to Amendment to Restrict U.S. Contracts with Syrian Regime Weapons Supplier

Washington D.C.- Today thanks to the leadership of Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Kay Granger (R-TX) the House of Representatives unanimously voted to pass an amendment to the FY2014 National Defense Authorization that continues to restrict the Pentagon from entering into new contracts with Russia’s state arms broker Rosoboronexport. Notorious for its ongoing lethal support to the Assad regime in Syria, Rosoboronexport continues to provide the murderous Syrian regime with heavy weapons that can be used against civilian targets.

“As recently as last month the Syrian regime was sending procurement requests to Rosoboronexport for a host of weapons they are using systematically against civilians. The Obama Administration’s failure to cut ties with Rosoboronexport calls into question both the strength of the Administration’s commitment to helping the Syrian opposition and its strategy to do so,” says Human Rights First’s Sadia Hameed. “How can the United States government on the one hand support the opposition while, on the other, shake hands and make deals with the very company supplying the weapons used to kill them? We applaud the leadership that the House of Representatives has shown today and we call on Congress to continue to hold the Pentagon accountable for its procurement decisions.”